Cracked
by Kariko
Summary: Mona Lisa is not just the most sought out painting in the world. She also becomes the most sought out reptile, Venus begins to have visions, and Raph's old alter ego, the NightWatcher, begins to take over his mind once more.
1. Who's the Father

**Valen Proudly Presents:**

**Cracked**

**Chapter One: ****  
Who's the Father?**

**Special Contest Alert: I am thinking of rewarding a oneshot to the first person to PM me or guess in their review who the father is. (You don't HAVE to guess, it's just a fun little gimmick I came up with.) The first person to successfully guess (it will be revealed in the second chapter), I will write them a oneshot about anything they'd like, with any pairing of their choice, should they like a pairing. That's the prize, because that's all I can really give on fanfiction. I'm hoping it'll get my writers' juices flowing so I can finish all of my stories before I officially retire from fanfiction. Anyone is free to participate in the contest.**

**Pay close attention to the behavior of ALL of the turtles. ; )  
**

**Summary: Mona Lisa is not just the most sought out painting in the world. She also becomes the most sought out reptile. Rumor has it she carries the baby of one of the ninja turtles.**

**Disclaimer: I'm not making any profit whatsoever on this. I do not own any of the turtles, nor do I own Mona Lisa or Venus de Milo or Splinter.**

"Tell me more about this mutant female, Karai." the Shredder paced his lair and very precise footsteps could be heard. Click. Click. Click. His footsteps matched the pattern of a ticking clock, or perhaps a beating heart. Karai noted that he looked more like a robot than a human being. A wind up toy carefully waiting for the battery to run out. Though his head was down, she could tell he was listening intently. Any chance to cause the downfall of the ninja turtles, even an unlikely one, interested him. This new bit of information Karai provided was a stroke of luck. . . a reward. Even if he hadn't even carried out a plausible plan.

Karai nodded, only too happy to give the information. With the ninja turtles out of the way, it would be possible for the Foot Clan to actually accomplish something. "She is the lover of one of the ninja turtles and is carrying a child—"

"Which one?" the Shredder inquired. Each turtle had its own remarkable genes to pass on. The purple-clad turtle was a genius, Leonardo was a natural born leader, the one in the red mask was the largest and strongest of the bunch, and the orange masked turtle was the most agile and athletic of the four. He would have personally preferred Leonardo's genes, but he certainly couldn't be picky.

"That is information I have not been able to acquire. I'm sorry. However, I believe, regardless of who the father is, the child can be their downfall." Karai smirked, looking up at the Shredder. From under his mask, he looked extremely pleased.

"Good work, Karai. Come with me." With that, Shredder walked out, his head high and his eyes gleaming. Malicious thoughts roamed his mind, making him smirk. There was no doubt in his mind that Karai and the clan could at least catch a pregnant mutant. On another floor, he showed Karai a lab seldom used by the Foot scientists. Ever since the downfall of Baxter Stockman, they had been slacking off and experiments were no longer frequent. It was so hard to find good help. In the back of the room was a large tank he had been hoping to save for the turtles, one day. Before killing them, he thought it smart to retrieve their DNA and create other little ninja turtles for his army. Small holes were cut in the top, but it was padlocked and the glass was extremely thick. Escape or privacy would be impossible for any creature.

The Shredder walked over to a table, showing Karai a couple dusty keys. "The keys to the tank. There are only two, and I trust you to handle them with care. The mutant female will stay here until she gives birth."

His smirk grew even wider. "Bring her to me. I want to see her in that tank by tomorrow night."

"Yes." Karai bowed her head and went to recruit the best of the Foot Clan.

* * *

Down in the subway tunnels, six creatures scurried about in the dark, hoping to go unnoticed. Surely the subway would be moving much too fast for anyone to notice five mutant ninja turtles and one mutant salamander. One pregnant mutant salamander. April, being the only human female they'd known, felt Mona Lisa's stomach, confirming the presence of a developing egg. Now, they were sneaking around underground tunnels, trying to find a decent route they could take the pregnant reptile without exposing her to fumes in the sewer. Carefully, Raphael and Leonardo punched holes in the wall, as Donatello confirmed it was hollow and would lead to the lair. They would, however, need a source of light, provided by only two flashlights.

When Leo and Raph finished their task, Donatello gestured for Mona Lisa to enter the hole. "Ladies first." he smiled at her. Her face fell suddenly. "What? Did I say something?" Mona shook her head and ran toward the subway track.

"Oh God. . . I have to–" she ran toward the train tracks, fell to her knees and vomited on the tracks. Every turtle rushed to her aid. "I. . . I need to lie down." she turned and pushed her hair away from her eyes. Luckily, none of the vomit had hit the ends.

"Please, get up, Mona." Venus, the other female mutant begged. Though, Venus was another turtle, not a lizard. "You cannot stay here." she patted Mona Lisa's hand attempting to coax the salamander up. "It's not safe. Especially not in your condition. This is one of worst places you could be right now."

Raphael brushed her hair out of her face. "She's right, Mona. Please go back with Donatello and Venus. You can lay down on the couch."

"I'll wait on you hand and foot." Donatello promised. Despite this, it was clear that Mona Lisa was amazingly reluctant to pull herself up off of the nice, cold floor.

Donatello looked to Raph, then to Leo and Mikey, bewildered. Finally, he picked her up and somehow managed to squeeze himself through the hole in the wall. They could hear a slight pat sound as her feet his the ground. "I have to use the flashlights." they all heard Donatello say. "It's fine if you want to ride on my back." This time, they heard hair rustling. All of them assumed Mona was either nodding or shaking her head. She mumbled something, but none of them heard what it was. "It's fine, really." Donatello said. Then, they heard her climbing onto his shell. Again, she mumbled, but the rest of the turtles could make out the meek "thank you" Mona made out in her weakened state.

Leo looked concerned. "Is she going to be alright?"

"Donatello and I will make certain Mona Lisa is as comfortable and safe as possible." Venus nodded at Leo and put her hand on his shoulder. "She's going to be just fine." With that, she also crawled through the hole in the wall and followed Donatello to the lair.

"Mona's a strong woman. She'll definitely be fine." Raphael crossed his arms and nodded his head in confidence.

"Yeah, I've seen her take down, like, ten bad guys once. So she's been through way worse." Michelangelo noted. "Come on, we have business to take care of up top, so that Mona can stay safe." Michelangelo pointed toward the ceiling of the subway tunnel for emphasis. All three of them made their way up top to confront a few thugs and "persuade" some witnesses not to tell anyone what they had seen. Splinter would have been very disappointed, but they had come to the agreement not to tell him. Even Leonardo, who normally found it wrong to keep secrets from their master at all costs, had made an exception for Mona Lisa.

Back at the lair, Donatello had given a bottle of water, a bucket, a blanket, a pillow, a warm wet rag, and many other items he located by running around their home. Now that it occurred to Mona, she'd only asked for water and a pillow. Donatello, who had never had to deal with a pregnant woman, much less a pregnant mutant, thought it better to be safe then sorry. Not that Mona Lisa was really complaining. . .

Now, she was ignoring a movie playing in the background (which also happened to be put in by Donatello), and chatting with Venus about the egg.

"I'm so jealous." Venus told her, eyes sparkling as she imagined herself carrying an egg. "I mean, I would hate for it to slow me down, but I thought I would be the first. I didn't even think you two were _that_ close. Did you think up any names yet? "

Mona didn't really want to admit that, even though she'd only just confirmed her pregnancy, that she had thought up a couple names. "Well. . . I was thinking if it was a boy, I'd keep the whole artist thing going and name him Vincent. I mean, I think it would be really fitting, cause it would keep the pattern going. If it was a girl? I don't know, I'd probably go for something cool like Artemis. Naming her after a Greek goddess would be fun. Athena's a pretty nice name, too." Mona thought for a minute. Artemis did have quite a nice ring to it. She crossed her fingers and hoped for a girl.

"Oh, yes, I really like those names. Artemis is nice." Venus nodded her head in approval. She looked around for Donatello. She didn't see him, but leaned over and whispered, despite. Male ears would not understand. "Do you think he'll go for those names?"

Mona Lisa waved her hand. "I'm the one carrying the egg. The least he can let me do is name the child." This made both of them giggle.

"You're right." Venus agreed. "They might be able to jump across skyscrapers and wipe out an army of ninjas without breaking a sweat, but I'd like to see them in your shoes. All of them would probably crack after their fourth or fifth time vomiting."

Their giggly, but peaceful chat was interrupted by a crash and Donatello immediately can rushing into the living room for the girls. "Something's happening! You need to go into the lab, now!" Mona had never heard Donatello use such a forceful voice, but she demanded to know what was happening. "The Foot!" Donatello screamed, practically dragging the girls to the lab. He almost shoved them in, but whispered to Mona before he shut the door. "The code to open the door is three, five, zero, nine. Don't forget." When he shut the door, he punched the code box on the outside so not one Foot ninja could enter from there. . . .

"Master Splinter, what's going on?" Venus noticed the old rat meditating quietly in the corner, despite the ruckus.

"It appears the Foot Clan has found out miss Mona Lisa is carrying a baby." He opened an eye and looked up at Mona. "They want your egg."

Mona's eyes widened, not because of what Splinter had said about the Foot Clan, but about her. . . He had known all along she was carrying the egg of one of his sons, even though he did not approve of relationships. "So then. . . you know who the father is?"

"Of course. You and your "lover" aren't exactly very subtle." his tone was teasing and serious at the same time. "I know exactly who the father is."

"So you've already figured out that it's. . ."


	2. Then There Were Two

**Valen Proudly Presents:**

**Cracked**

**Chapter Two: ****  
Then There Were Two  
**

**The winner(s) will be announced at the end of this chapter. As will the father. . . ; )  
**

**Summary: Mona Lisa is not just the most sought out painting in the world. She also becomes the most sought out reptile. Rumor has it she carries the baby of one of the ninja turtles.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the turtles, nor do I own Mona Lisa or Venus de Milo or Splinter.**

While Leo, Raphael, and Michelangelo were up top, Karai and company watched from a skyscraper, carefully planning an attack. None of the turtles stood a chance against Karai's humongous army. At least ten or fifteen ninjas jumped on each turtle, and a designated ninja jabbed a needle through their arms and pumped tranquilizer in their veins. Their hands were bound and they were all three shoved into the back of a van in a matter o f seconds. The others "took care" of witnesses who attempted to bolt out of the alley. Karai, though not heartless, could take no chances with these thugs. All of them now knew too much. At least now they weren't alive to tell anybody.

Karai stayed in the back of the van to control the turtles. Made sure they could not escape the ropes and cause havoc. Leonardo woke up first, but just looked up at her from the ground, unmoving. For a few seconds, he blinked, attempting to pet her into focus. At first, she was blurry, but her image finally cleared.

"Where are you taking us, Karai?" his voice was quiet, but she'd heard every word. "Why are you doing this?"

"Leonardo, it is not you I'm after. I simply need to make sure you and your brothers do not get in my way. Did none of you notice a foot clan ninja following you back to your lair? Really, Leonardo, I'm shocked you wouldn't take more precautions when you have a female carrying around one of your children."

"But I'm not--" Leo immediately clamped his mouth shut. For some reason, he felt if best if Karai didn't have a clue who the father was. But it was too late. Instantly, Karai knew it was one turtle to mark off on her list. Next to him, Leo heard a low growl. This definitely wasn't good.

"You touch. . . one hair on her. . ." Raph's breathing was very shallow and he struggled to get the words out. "I will personally murder your whole clan." Leo could clearly see the pure hatred in his eyes. If looks could kill. . .

Karai smirked down at him, her eyes glinting. There was not much hope, now, Leo thought. He could not bring it upon himself to calm his brother, or ask him to control his emotions. Even for the Shredder, going after a pregnant woman was a low blow. Though bound and filled with sedative, Leo knew that Raph would never allow the Foot Clan to take advantage of her like that.

Never. . .

All three of the mutants inside Donatello's lab listened to the punches being dealt on the other side. More than once, Mona had heard Donatello scream "No!" and block the door. The pounding against the steel made Mona Lisa very nervous. She wished she wasn't so afraid to help him. Venus and Splinter certainly weren't.

"I cannot sit here idly while my son fights Shredder's ninjas alone. Venus, protect Mona Lisa." Splinter stood and walked over to the codebox. Mona didn't even need to tell him what the numbers were. But he was hesitant to press the last one. His fingers hovered over the number nine. "Miss Mona. . ." he started. "I will slip out as quickly as I can, but I cannot guarantee Foot ninjas will not come through. I think perhaps it would not be wise to go out at the cost of putting you in danger. I should have stayed out there with Donatello."

"I'll help keep the door blocked, Master Splinter." Venus offered.

"Splinter, if you need to help Donatello, I understand." Mona smiled at the old rat. "I'm not going to stand in your way."

The three of them attempted to devise the safest plan for Splinter to slip out. Outside, the punches had quieted down, but there was no way to tell how good of a job Donatello was doing fending off Foot ninjas. They heard his breathing becoming heavier as he fought more ninja. Splinter put his ear to the door, listening carefully. "He has done a fine job holding off Shredder's ninjas. Venus, Mona Lisa, are you ready?"

The girls nodded, but Mona gulped. Once, fighting alongside Raphael she had also faces Foot ninja. Her agile legs and long tail allowed he r to hold her own against a couple, but she would never be able to face an army of them like Donatello. Because none of his other siblings were there to help him, she felt terrible, and was only too happy to allow Splinter to assist him.

She bowed her head toward Splinter as a sign she was ready and he pressed the last button. Slowly, the door slid open, and Mona lisa ran toward the code box. Venus fended off a number of ninjas attempting to make their way in. As quickly as she could, but trying not to panic at the same time, Mona Lisa punched in the code once more. Before it was even halfway open, the door started to shut again. Mona Lisa heard Venus cry out as she was dragged away from the doorway. By the time the door had closed, Mona was all alone. Not even a Foot ninja had slipped in to keep her company. Mons Lisa put her own ear to the door just as Master Splinter had done to listen. Donatello screamed at the Foot ninjas.

"You're not going anywhere with Venus or Maer Splinter!" The sight of his family being taken away had obviously given him a second wind, and Mona could hear the grunts of the Foot as they fell victim to the bo staff. "No! Venus, Splinter! Bring them Back!" Suddenly, Mona heard metal make contact with something. Hard. This time, it was Donnie who let out a cry of pain.

"Leave him!" she heard one of the ninjas shout out to the others. "We have the female mutant!" They must not have seen her, nor could they have known that there were two female mutants living there, now.

Convenient. Yet at the same time, horrifying. The Foot ninjas that had attacked believed Venus was the pregnant female. Mona Lisa could only imagine the awful things they would do when they found out she was not the carrier. A quick but quiet knowck on the metal door startled her and caused her to jump.

"Hey. . ." Donatello's breathing had become shallow again. "Let me in, Mona, please. The Foot are gone, I promise." But Mona Lia's mind had gone blank. Completely numb.

"I forgot the code already." Numbers were the last thing on her mind at the moment. If the Foot had found them in the sewer, there was no doubt Michelangelo, Raphael, and Leonardo were also probably dealing with Foot ninjas. "Tell me again."

"She heard a heavy sigh on the other side. "Three. . ." Mona pushed each number in sync with his voice. "Five. . .' More thoughts of Mikey, Raph, and Leo plagued her mind. What if they were already? "Zero. . ." What if they were being tortured right now? What of the Shredder and his clan would stop at nothing to retrieve the egg? "Nine." The door started to open, and a bleeding, battered Donatello crawled inside. In his hands were broken pieces of his bo. "The Foot ninja are a lot stronger than I remember. One of them smashed me over the head with. . . I can't even remember what it was." He put his hand to his head and touched the tender spot, wincing in pain. There were many other bruises, too. Countless bruises all over his body. Mona sunk to her knees until she was at eye level with him. God, there were bruises _everywhere_.

Gently, she also touched the spot on his head. "Are you. . . alright? Here, let's get a first aid kit--"

Donatello interrupted, "No, we have to leave. Now." Donatello pulled himself to his feet, dropping what was left of his bo. "They took my father and sister. One of the head ninja told me they have Raph, Leo, and Mikey." Donatello looked more distraught then Mona had ever seen him before. But she was also extremely worried about them. She would have preferred it if the ninja had succeeded in kidnapping her. None of the others would have been roped into this mess like this. They would have come to save her, their advantage in sheer strength and teamwork. Now, though. . . the strongest of the turtles were locked up, and only she and Donatello were left. Donatello could throw down with the best of them, sure, but he specialized in logic, not fighting.

If Donatello had time to think things through, he'd probably hack into all systems, and build the perfect robot for breaking and entering. The purple-masked turtle was useless in this impulsive state, with no plan and no weapon. Mona Lisa had to persuade him to pause and think before acting. so that they would have a chance. However, she did so reluctantly, as she, too, wanted to run out and save the others as fast as possible. But she knew that wasn't possible at the moment.

"Just calm yourself, Donatello. We can't rush out and fight; The Foot clan will _murder _us! We have to analyze this situation very carefully and figure out what needs to be done be_fore _taking out the Foot. Yes, we need to save the others as fast as possible, but it _won't _be possible if we just barge in without thinking." When she heard Donnie sigh, she knew she had won. Mona Lisa was extremely grateful it was level-headed Donatello here with her at the moment. Raphael would have never been convinced to "wait" or "think things through." Donnie, though, was a hell of a lot easier to coax, and that would provide them with a victory.

"You're right. I'll hack into the systems, now. Perhaps if I can get April to shut off the power just before we can go in, we'll be way harder to track. I'll call her now." Though his voice was still urgent, Donatello had a plan in mind, now, and Mona convinced _herself _that they'd all escape New York by dawn.

There was someone else, however, that they'd forgotten to worry about. . .

Raphael was now beyond humiliated. Locked in this tiny little cell all drugged up. Suddenly, he'd regret going topside, instead of staying behind with Mona. Since they had been thrown in here, Michelangelo tried to tell Raphael that it wasn't his fault. Shredder was just a sick bastard taking advantage of them. Or rather, one of them. Dents had been made in the wall by Raph, and now his arms and knuckles throbbed in pain. In a crazed state, he'd even tried to bend the cells bars, hoping to escape. Oh how he'd underestimated those damned rusty little bars. Leo sat off in a corner in his own little zone, his blank stare fixated on the wall across from him. The older brother hadn't even told Raph to stop punching the walls. The ruckus his two younger siblings were making didn't seem to bother him at all. Strange, since Michelangelo had to shout over Raph's punching and yelling, and they had gone on like that for a good twenty minutes.

"Dude, calm down! You know Donatello wouldn't let them take off with her! I'm sure she's safe somewhere. We just have to bust out of here and go somewhere else for a while! Raph, stop _blaming _yourself, dude!" Not even the normally optimistic Michelangelo could reach Raph in this state.

"No! How could I let them do that? Why didn't I stay with her? What the shell is wrong with me!" Another punch. "I swear when I get my hands on Shredder. . ." a harder punch, this time. Now he yelled, but it sounded more like a prehistoric roar. He could imagine the wall crumbling under his fists, which were now bloody and raw. They throbbed and practically screamed at him to stop. "I'll never live this down. . ."

Instinct shouted at Raph, lecturing him on the importance of protecting one's mate. . .

**Heh, constructive criticism is appreciated. The winner is: Alangrieal! Please PM me on your choice of oneshot, and I will do my best to write it. If you'd like a specific pairing, feel free to inform me.**

**I will also write a oneshot for Kelip-Kelip, as a thank you for pointing out my mistake in the first chapter. If you'd like a oneshot, please PM me with your choice of them/pairing and I'll do my best to do it justice. Thanks for participating.  
**


	3. Reptile Kisses

**Valen Proudly Presents:**

**Cracked**

**Chapter Three: ****  
Reptile Kisses  
**

**Summary: Mona Lisa is not just the most sought out painting in the world. She also becomes the most sought out reptile. Rumor has it she carries the baby of one of the ninja turtles.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the turtles, nor do I own Mona Lisa or Venus de Milo or Splinter. The soap operas are copyright to. . . whoever they're copyright-ed to.  
**

**So as not to confuse you, this whole entire chapter is BACKSTORY. Backstory that led up to the events in the last two chapters. Thanks. Also, Mona Lisa's backstory is a bit different than original. I tend to follow the 2003 series, so I felt the need to make it a bit darker. Also ALSO, this chapter is a bit (a LOT) longer than what I normally write. Hence, why it's taken me a bit longer to update it. Lots of stuff going on, so pay attention. Oneshots will be written soon. Thanksgiving break, ftw!  
**

The moment she came to live with them in the sewers, Raphael couldn't stop thinking about her. Previously human, Mona Lisa found it difficult to adjust to hiding and walking around in her birthday suit like the turtles. None of them found it odd that they never wore any clothes, and that Splinter only wore a robe. He'd never worn the robe because he was self-conscious, he wore it because cold sewers could sometimes test an old rat. Mona Lisa covered up almost her entire body with jeans and a sweater. Pretty soon, she changed it up, and wore an old black dress for a while. Soon, she wore dresses exclusively, because they were more comfortable for her tail.

Even as a reptile, Raphael thought she wore dresses pretty well. He liked them a _lot _better than plain old jeans. She had one for every day of the week: black, yellow, white with black flowers, brown with teal spots, light blue, blue, and pink.

By far, Raphael liked the black one _best_. Every time she wore it, he would catch himself staring.

And she would, too.

One day, Mona Lisa was rummaging through cabinets, attempting (in vain) to find something that _wasn't _pizza to feed her. She was standing on her tip-toes to reach the cabinets, and her leg muscles were flexed. At the same time, Raph was sitting at the table trying hard to keep his focus on his slice of pepperoni and _not _her calves. "Hey Raph? You sure there's nothing else in here? I found a box of cereal from the nineties, but that's all. Leo said the vegetables and all the good stuff were for dinner tonight." She turned to him just after his roaming eyes had stopped, but he still had a dumb grin on his face. "Wanna come up to get a burger or something with me? I don't wanna go up top alone."

As much as he liked the offer, Raph couldn't help but point out one little detail. "In broad daylight? Not even my trench coat will hide me. Besides, what about you?"

"I just tired of pizza, that's all. And I don't wanna wait until dark to get food." Mona complained.

Raph gestured his head towards his room and got up from the table. "I have a stash in my room. Just popcorn and cereal, but I think it'll hold you off until dinner."

"I wish I could just go up and get myself a burger. Raph, you guys are so awesome, but _ugh_, it's just so _hard _living like this in the shadows. But. . . you understand that much better than I do, don't you, Raph?" Mona followed him up to his room.

"Yeah, yeah. It sucks, I know. We'll punch a punching bag in my room and talk about it over cheerios."

Raph's room felt large, only because there wasn't a lot of stuff around. A hammock, a microwave, a small television that always seemed to be on the sci-fi channel, and a dresser. With locks. Nobody but Raph knew what was hidden in those drawers. She watched as he fiddled with the lock, and it clicked when he finished the combination. Though she was now sitting, Mona stretched her body, attempting to see what else was in those drawers besides popcorn. Quickly, Raphael shut the drawer before she got a good look inside. Mona couldn't help herself, and blurted it out before she could stop.

"What's in the drawers?"

Raph just gave her a "look" before sticking the popcorn in the microwave. "Popcorn. Why?"

Now it was Mona's turn to exchange the "look." She raised an eyeridge at him. "Hey, I'm not dumb. If it was just popcorn, you wouldn't feel the need to put locks on your drawers."

He sat abruptly, mumbling to himself, as if trying to come up with a good answer. "Look, there's no need tah get nosy. I keep them locked so that Mikey won't steal my stash? You believe me, right?"

As stubborn and reluctant as he was, Mona Lisa felt it best to let go. Perhaps one day when she earned his trust enough, he'd show her. Still, she couldn't help shake the feeling that he wasn't telling her something. "Alright." Just for one last chance. . . "I trust you, Raph."

If he was hurt or guilty, he hid it as well as he could. There was no visible expression on his face, but he'd now refused to make eye contact, and started quietly grinding his teeth. No way Raph would make such a huge deal about _popcorn_. Even for Raph, it was such a small thing to become irritated over.

_Let it go, girl. _Mona thought. _Just let it go. . . _It _had_ to be something important. A curious nature still drove her to wonder what was inside, but it was now the cautious kind. Whatever was in there, it was the Pandora's Box of the sewers, and opening it would only the chaos in the household. . . or the sewer-hold.

Still, she managed to let it go for the time being and comment on the giant insects on television. She hadn't really taken Raph for a Sci-Fi kind of guy; it was something she expected from Donatello. She told Raph this.

"Don't get a lot of channels." He confessed. "It's usually between this and 'Days of our Lives.' And the only thing those kinds of shows have to offer are hot nurses. I honestly don't understand why Master Splinter is so into them."

Mona swallowed a mouthful of popcorn and smirked at him. "Women _love _men who can keep up with soap operas. Think of how many chicks you could pick up if you started talking about 'The Young and the Restless' with them. Perhaps you could learn a couple more lessons from Splinter."

"Yeah. I could pick up chicks by reciting lines from 'The Bold and the Beautiful,' but I'd have to make sure my green skin doesn't freak 'em out first."

"You have a point, there." Mona giggled, and moved closer. "You don't have to worry," she assured, crawling towards him. "Your green skin doesn't freak _me _out."

"Heh, I hope not. You're a little green around the gills, yourself, Mona."

After a few more bad puns about the color green, and some soap opera references, Mona thanked Raph for the popcorn and went on her way to play Super Smash Bros. with Michelangelo. Partly because he had barged in on the two, bragging about how he managed to clean off all the fingerprints and scratches, and that it was now playable. As irritating as he was, Raphael actually fund it quite convenient that she had left. Soon after they went to play, he locked his door and walked over to the drawers.

Under packs of popcorn were highly confidential files only Raph and a few agents back at the lab had looked at.

_"Miss Mona, seeing as how you are the most reliable intern, I expect _you _to keep your eye on this specimen." The scientist and the eager intern looked at a semi-conscious Raphael in a cage. Had the tranquilizer not taken its toll on him, he'd be giving those two a piece of his mind. Raph figured he could throw his fit when the sedatives wore off. How _dare_ these people lock him up like an animal. If they knew just how much he'd done to prevent crime in New York City, they wouldn't have been doing this to him. Now he understood why Splinter didn't want him to venture topside. Humans were not interested in the good deeds he'd done for them. . . they only wanted his superior DNA._

_"Where. . .? What. . .is it? How did you. . .?" the young intern was full of questions. Never before had she seen a creature quite like this. Some kind of turtle humanoid hybrid. . . and _she_ was fortunate enough to be chosen to observe it. "This is amazing! I've never seen anything like it before!" She was gripping the clipboard with excitement, and her eyes were wide. "I mean, this isn't exactly my _field,_ but I'll do the best I can. Wow, would you look at the muscles on him? And that _shell. . ._not that he'd be able to fit in it anyways."_

_"Please." her overseer begged, "Concentrate on the task at hand, Mona Lisa." he flicked at a needle. "Please gather its DNA and observe its behavior. The tranquilizer will keep it from attacking you as you gather DNA samples. If you are able, I'd like at least two blood samples, and a skin sample. Also. . ." he held up a bag with a red bandanna inside. "It was wearing this when we took it down. I don't know why, but it's probably _full _of skin cell samples. Take a look at it under the microscope. There's a box of latex gloves beside it."_

_"Yes, Dr. Cunnings."  
_

_There was no dignity in this. Raphael was being looked down upon by an intern and a low-life whitecoat, not to mention being called "it." He hated this. At least the intern had been kind enough to give him a gender. But he was still ticked off, and, even though he knew it served no absolute purpose, Raph also felt naked without his bandanna. The fact that she'd be staring at it ten-thousand times magnified only violated him more._

_Suddenly, he felt something jab into his arm. He'd been wallowing in his own angry thoughts for so long, he hadn't noticed the intern wrap the rubber strap around his arm. Too late to jerk away; it would only cause him more damage. Instead, he let out a low, throaty growl at the girl. She jumped, losing her hold on the needle only for a moment. "Sorry, hun. I just need a blood sample." She slid the needle out. "Look, already done!" Now, he noticed latex gloves on her hands. Just how long had he been lying there, distracted? "Now, to get this in a vial."_

_Though his head was pounding, Raph could feel his limbs and voice coming back to life. The intern walked over to a huge plethora of technology that would probably make Donnie orgasm. A huge computer screen took up the back wall of the room, and the keyboard wasn't any smaller. In fact, the keyboard stretched from wall to wall. There was a tiny space for the letters and the normal buttons on a keyboard, but the rest there were formula symbols only his genius brother could understand, hollow spaces for vials, and color-coded buttons to work certain features on the computer. Unfortunately, Raph couldn't appreciate all the studying Mona had to do to memorize those buttons. After putting his blood sample into one of the vials, she looked at the percantages on the screen._

_Raph couldn't understand what she was looking at, but it struck her with awe. "Your chemical makeup is exactly that of a human's! Water, carbon, iron. . . it's all here! What are you?" she turned, and jumped, realizing that Raphael was now sitting up. "Oh! You're sitting up?" she walked back over, tool in hand. "Mind if I take a look at your skin cells?"_

_This turtle was more human than she'd ever imagined. He was in the lotus position, clutching his head and cursing under his breath. "Get away from me." he growled._

_The intern was taken aback. "You talk!"_

_Raph tilted his head. "Really, now? They should change your name to Sherlock." He added in a few more rude phrases, and Mona's face fell._

_"It's got a charming personality to boot." she said, the sarcasm just as apparent in her own voice._

_"I don't need to be charming. You locked me in a damn cage, and you've been calling me 'it.' Like I'm some kind of animal."_

_"If you don't mind me pointing out. . . you a_re _a large turtle humanoid. And I wasn't calling you 'it.' Dr. Cunnings is kind of numb to emotions. He's seen every type of animal testing out there. Even hybrid experiments in Area 51."_

_"But you aren't like that. Are you?"_

_"No! I mean. . . I've never had to deal with animal testing up front, but I certainly don't approve of it."_

_"Yah've got a funny way of showin' it." Raph wasn't sure he could trust this girl. Here she was sticking needles in him and going on about his genetics, then turned right around and argued that she didn't approve of animal testing. Not that he considered himself an animal, but he knew to normal people, he was far from the average human._

_"Hey, I wasn't performing experiments. I was humanely drawing blood from your arm with a sanitary needle. Veterinarians do it all the time. Besides, Dr. Cunnings is my superior. But if he'd, say, asked me to dissect you or inject you with some foreign substance, I would refuse. Especially now that I know you a little better. Do you have a name?"_

_At first, he just looked at her. For a couple moments, he debated with himself mentally about the situation. This girl obviously saw him as a person who simply had a strange shade of skin. "Name's Raphael. Raph for short."_

_"Like the painter?" she inquired._

_"Yeah, all my brothers are named after Renaissance artists." Suddenly, Raph felt he'd let her know too much. In two seconds, he'd just blurted out that he had siblings. However, she didn't seem to hold it against him._

_"You have a family? Jeez, I bet they're wondering where you are right now! They're probably out in the city, searching every building."_

_Raph smirked. "Well, I wouldn't want them to worry. How's about lettin' me outta this cage then, sweetheart?" In the deepest depths of his heart, Raph had pulled out a Mikey-trait by using guilt and charm all in one sentence._

_Mona pulled out the smallest notebook Raph had ever seen and scribbled something on it in pen. After tearing it out, she handed the slip of paper to Raph through the bars. "This is my address. Promise me you'll visit sometime?" With that, she unlocked the cage door, allowing Raph to escape. "There's a window in the hallway here. Nobody else is working this floor, so you'll be alright. The window is on the second story, but from the looks of _your _muscles, that shouldn't be a problem. And I believe. . ." she walked over to the table and picked up the bag containing his bandanna. "This would be yours."_

_Without hesitation, Raph reached in and pulled it out, tying around his head. _Much better. _He thought. He was grateful that this girl had changed her mind about keeping him caged up. "I'll tell Dr. Cunnings you picked the lock, and that you were more intelligent than we imagined." she winked at him. "I'm sure he'll have no trouble believing that."_

_"Thanks." Raph said as he went out the door, suddenly remembering his manners. "Your name's Mona Lisa?"_

_"Yup."_

_"Cute."_

For months, Raph had that little paper crumpled up on top of his dresser, but he hadn't actually gathered up the guts to go visit her. Trust was still an issue, and he wondered if he'd be ambushed by scientists and agents when he arrived.

It was a shame, because had he gone to visit her, he might have seen the signs. Dr. Cunnings actually knew everything there was to know about the turtles, but wanted his own creation. Even though Raphael "escaped" that lab, they still had a blood sample to work with. And Cunnings decided his most intelligent intern would be an excellent test subject.

Mona later explained her slow and excruciating transformation. For one thing, she had ruined her eyes in college because of so much cramming, and almost always had contacts put in. Soon, her vision became twenty-twenty, and she no longer had to pay for contacts. Secondly, on top of her vision becoming perfect again, a small layer formed itself over her eye, and she was able to keep her eyes open in the shower. Water slid over the layer, instead of absorbing its way into her eyes.

By the time Raph came to her run-down apartment, she was sobbing in her bathroom because her legs were now oddly muscular, smooth, and. . . green. She had also sprouted a tail, which had caused her the most mind-blowing pain she'd ever experienced.

_"He-he must have been planning this the whole time! Look at me!" she wailed. "I'm turning into a LIZARD!" Tears flowed out of her eyes non-stop._

_It was Raph who kept her company that night. And the only other individual who witnessed the rest of Mona Lisa's transformation. The metamorphosis left her in a weakened state, and she complained about how her new skin burned and the buzzing in her head. Around five o' clock in the morning, a very weary Raph called his brother, Donatello, and asked him to meet him at the address. Donatello, being the passive genius he was, agreed because of the urgency in Raph's voice. Raph gave him directions, and he made it in under ten minutes._

_"Alright, Raph, who's your new friend that you want so badly for me to meet?"_

_"Come and see." he dragged his brother by the couch, and pulled the covers back a bit. Mona was sleeping lightly, and her breathing was shallow. "Her boss made a new formula outta my DNA, only it's takin' its toll on her. God, you should've seen her when her head was transforming. I didn't think she would make it."_

_Ever the level-headed genius he was, Donatello put a hand to her forehead and immediately pulled back. "She's got a nasty fever. Get me a cold rag, or an ice pack if she's got one." he knelt down by the couch and tucked a strand of hair behind her ears. "Are you alright, miss?"_

_Mona did not wake, but made the best conversation she could in sleep. "Raph. . . was your transformation like this? My skin. . . it feels like it's boiling. Oh, I can't stand it."_

_Raph returned, two ice packs in hand, and Donatello placed one on her head and one on her stomach. Even in sleep, he could feel she appreciated the cool texture."How long has she been like this?"_

_"I came here around nine o' clock last night after dinner, and that's when she started screamin' about her tail and legs. She said the tail hurt worse than anything, and that's when she passed out. If I wasn't here, she'd probably have been transforming on her bathroom floor the whole night. It was like pulling teeth draggin out her to a comfy couch. she was trashin' EVERYWHERE!" Raph explained._

_"Well, I'm proud of you for not panicking, but you should have called me sooner."_

_"I didn't want to wake Leo up and have him snoopin'. I knew he'd be doing katas on the rooftops at sunrise. Man, I've been up all night." Raph gripped his head and sighed. "But I couldn't just not do anything. So I had to keep water and a bucket here all night. She couldn't hold anything down. Not even an apple."_

_"Well, you rest, and I'll watch her until _you _feel better. Why don't you go sleep in the recliner in the corner?" Donatello flipped the ice packs_ over.

_So Raph took a power nap in Mona Lisa's recliner, regaining a fraction of his strength back during his half hour of sleep. Both Raph and Mona were awakened by a loud knocking (more like pounding) at the door. He and Donatello prepared for battle, until they heard an all too familiar voice._

_"Mona! Dr. Cunnings told me he tested the new batch of ooze on you. Come on out and let Baxter see what a pretty lizard you are!"_

_"Damn it!" Raph whisper-yelled. "I thought we had put Stockman down for good! Well. . ." Raph pulled out his sai and stood firmly. 'We ain't goin' down without a fight, Donny."_

_"Uh. . . no, Raph." Donatello whispered. He had his eye firmly glued to the peep-hole, and he was receiving a close-up view of Stockman's new creation. "Stockman's got some really buff robots to back him up. We can't fight and protect her at the same time." Donatello picked up the newly mutated Mona Lisa, blanket and all, and she was surprised to see a second turtle in her apartment. _

_"Raph's brother, I presume?" In pain, she still had managed to keep a bit of her sarcastic tone._

_"Uh, yeah. But we'll talk about that later. First, let's get you out of here." The turtles were still whispering at this point, but Raph was ready to give Baxter Stockman a piece of his mind. Even though Raph was always ready to give _someone _a piece of his mind. "Raph, I'll go out the window here, and you go into her room, grab as many clothes for her as you can, and go out the fire escape before Stockman's new robots catch you."_

_Though he shouldn't have thought about the situation like he did, at the moment, it ticked him off (like everything else.) He had stayed up with her all night, making sure she was as comfortable as possible, and Donatello waltzed in for a half-hour and took over the situation. And _he _was the one who got to carry the female back to the sewers. But Raphael did as he was told, albeit grumbling the entire time. He shut Mona Lisa's door and locked it just in case Stockman broke down the front door._

_Which he did. In all his robot glory, Stockman had just broken the door down and entered with his robots, and Raph wondered why nobody had come to her aid, despite the ruckus. Didn't people usually wake up just before six? He grabbed whatever he could in her wardrobe, which consisted of sweaters, jeans, and sun dresses in the bottom drawer. This girl was all ready for autumn weather. Just before the robots broke down her door, Raph went out the fire escape and escaped into the night._

_Except that he actually escaped into the dawn and barely managed to make it into the sewers unseen._

His siblings were curious about the new female, expecially Venus, who was relieved that she was no longer the token female of the group.

"I kept having a dream," she had said, "that you were carrying something into the lair. But I couldn't see was it was." Then she giggled. "Now I know."

Splinter would have lectured about them being seen, and for Raphael being captured that day, but he knew his son had gone out of his way and showed maturity by helping this girl. He would not have expected Raphael, out of all of them, to stay cool during a time of crisis. In truth, he was more proud of his son than worried. Donatello had also shown maturity, and caring for his brother and his new friend.

Baxter Stockman, outraged that he was not able to find his new mutant, stormed back to Dr. Cunnings, demanding to know where she was. Dr. Cunnings went with him to search the apartment, and found nothing but an empty water bottle, a bucket cleaned out in the sink, and a small piece of paper with Mona's address scribbled on it. In her handwriting.

"She must have given her address a new friend." Cunnings had concluded. "It's the only theory I can think of." So he had put on his latex gloves and carefully used tweezers to put it in a Ziploc bag. "My guess is her new friend has his skin cells all over this little slip of paper. We can take it back to the lab for testing."

The results only angered Stockman more. Because the paper had been stored in Raph's shell for so long, his DNA was all over it. The turtles could no longer be found in the sewers because of Donatello's cloaking technology. Technology he _stole _from the great and powerful Stockman! Ironically the same cloaking technology he had used when he ventured out to capture Mona.

Cunnings still wanted his payment that day. "As promised, I think you owe me my reward."

But Stockman refused. Instead, he had one of his robots pin Cunnings up against the wall. "You promised me a mutant. Do you see a mutant around here, Christopher? I think not. . ." Now that he no longer worked for the Shredder, _and _he had his own assistant under him, Stockman was now power-hungry. Instead of being punished for his mistakes, he could now take out his anger on his assistant.

Dr. Cunnings finally realized something that day. "You're mad."

Stockman threw his head back and let out a maniacal laugh. "You're always the last one to notice these things, aren't you?"

* * *

When the storm had died down, three things happened: Dr. Cunnings had his left hand cut off, Mona's skin had stopped burning, and the turtles learned the full story, realizing they were in more danger than ever before. Donatello constantly checked his cloaking system, and kept making improvements so it wouldn't resemble Stockman's now-obscure technology.

Mona Lisa was heartbroken about her new appearance, as the green skin took its toll on her self-esteem. Venus kept reminding her that she was still a beautiful mutant, and it really helped. What had really helped make her feel better though was that the turtles and their friends, April and Casey, treated her like a normal human being. Not one of them talked about the transformation after it happened unless she wanted to. Even Michelangelo got the hint. When Raph whacked him across the head after the comment he made about the huge hole in her favorite pair of jeans, courtesy of her tail ripping through during the transformation.

"Ignore him. Your tail is cool." Raph told her.

"I didn't was it wasn't _cool_! I was just wondering how it managed to rip through denim---"

WHACK!

"Again, don't listen to this dolt. You make a pretty mutant."

"Uh, yeah." Michelangelo agreed, so as not to be whacked again. "What Raph said. You're pretty cool."

Soon, Mona adapted to their way of life, minus the addiction to pizza. Much too fattening for her. But she trained with them, fought crime with them, and played video games with them. She even started watching wrestling with Raph and talking total geek speak with Donatello. But what she couldn't adjust to very well was not walking outside in broad daylight. Many times, she'd throw on an outfit and walk out the door, only to be stopped by one of the turtles.

Venus would insist the "spirits" up top were up to no good.

Splinter would repeat the same lectures he told his sons about going topside.

Mikey would repeat Splinter's lectures about going topside. Albeit, mockingly at times.

Raph reminded her that he was captured during one of his topside adventures, which resulted in her being mutated.

Leo and Donatello reminded her that Stockman was probably still after her.

Out of all of them, Raph understood the most, though. More than once, they snuck out to do vigilante work with Casey, and Mona got to ride on Raph's motorcycle. She was forbidden from driving it, though. Very, very forbidden.

And then it happened. Her first kiss. . . with a ninja turtle, that is.

After stopping a Purple Dragon robbery, they'd gone to Casey's to celebrate. While their human friend was busy getting drinks from the fridge, she wrapped her arms around the turtle and kissed. Half because she wanted to see him all flustered and bewildered, but mostly 'cause she wanted to. It was fun, however, seeing the expression on his face, which she pretended not to notice. Casey saw it, though, but didn't ask the reason behind Raph's strange behavior. By the looks of Mona's expression, he made an educated guess. So he just went on and handed them the usual: a beer for him and Raph and a Coke for her.

Though he spent a fair amount of his time thinking of her, it became for different reasons as time went on. First, he wondered why she worked under a guy like Dr. Cunnings. This was when she was human and he still had reservations about visiting her. When she came to live with them, he wondered how they infected her with the ooze, and how durable she must have been to survive that transformation. After the kiss, his thoughts became different. _Very _different.

_Does she like me? Why did she kiss me? Is it 'cause she's a mutant now and thinks I'm the best option she's got? Do I really care that much? Yeah, I kinda do. . . _They plagued his mind, distracting him and causing him to go into temporary trances. He didn't dare confront her, for fear of what his brothers would think. On the other hand, had she kissed one of his brothers, too?!

On night, he found his chance when they were alone in the kitchen. He tried to suppress his frustration with the situation, so as not to make her think he was mad at her. "Alright, Mona, spill. What was that kiss all about? Am I the only mutant turtle you've kissed? Why did you do it?" questions spilled out, and each one only made her giggle. She walked over.

"You're the only mutant turtle I've kissed. I kissed you because I thought you were cute. Don't you know anything about girls?" she sneaked a peck on his nose and practically slithered away. "Or it might be part of my evil scheme to distract you. You never know." she winked before turning and going off her own way. Raph followed.

He left her room that night feeling better than he ever had in his entire life. And Master Splinter detected a strange scent on his hot-headed turtle the next morning.

**Heh, constructive criticism is appreciated. I know, I'm still trying to find out how one would put a lock on a drawer. Perhaps there are chains wrapped around the whole dresser. O-o;; Sounds kinda Raph-like.  
**


	4. Locked Up

**Valen Proudly Presents**

**Cracked**

**Chapter Four:  
Locked Up**

**A bit of comic relief in this chapter. Despite the uh. . . darker themes afterward. I can't depress you all the time. Also, Venus does NOT have a lot of her magical Shinobi powers she had in her show, but she's way into the supernatural and the occult in this story. Watch how I attempt foreshadowing with her! Poorly! XD Warning: some disturbing imagery.  
**

Leo sat in the corner, quietly meditating, and trying to think of a way out of their prison cell.

Raph, upon being assumed the father by Karai, had been separated from his brothers and locked in an isolated room. There was, quite literally, no light shining in that room. Black metal and glass surrounded him, and he'd been having a feeling someone was watching him through the glass, though he was unable to see on the outside. Still, it didn't stop him from shredding his knuckles by punching the walls around him.

Over.

And over.

And over.

Michelangelo was in the cell with Leonardo, awfully quiet. Despite normally having a one-track mind, he currently had more thoughts racing than Leo and Raph combined. Leo's goal was to break out of their prison, and Raph's only thought at the moment was Mona Lisa. But Mikey thought of the rest of his family members individually. How did the Foot manage to capture Splinter, and Venus? Where had Donatello and Mona Lisa gone, now?

Soon, other memories began to flood his mind. When the girls arrived, Splinter started different training tactics that became quite effective. From then on, it was almost always two on two. Splinter paired each of them up based on how well they'd work with each other. Don, the passive genius, was paired with Leo, the levelheaded but it-needs-to-be-done-now leader. The agile girl with the strong legs, Mona, was paired with Raphael. . . mostly because they were two peas in a pod. Of course, the youngest turtles were paired together, and they made a more excellent team than the others ever imagined. Splinter, instead of focusing on their lack of strength, took a different route and put Venus and Mikey through rigorous agility training. Soon, they became the fastest of the five turtles, by far.

But one day, Mikey suddenly felt embarrassed at everything he did, especially if he'd done it in front of the girls. Even if Mona burped along with him, or Venus got pepperoni stuck in her own teeth, he felt the need to be very, very gentleman-ly.

And clean. Clean and freshly scented.

It was Don who first noticed Michelangelo's strange behavior. How excited he was to have two females (mutant at that!) Living in the lair with him. Though Donatello did not confront his brother about this behavior, Michelangelo came to him one day, wondering what he was feeling. Unless he played it wise, Donatello was stuck giving a "birds and the bees" lecture. On top of that, Mikey confessed to cuddling with Mona on he couch the night before. All Donatello could do was hope Raph didn't see the two because he knew Raph had a huge thing for Mona. Secretly, of course. As secret as Raph could be, anyway. Donny caught him staring at her legs almost daily. A few times, Leo had to smack the back of his head and tell him to be respectful. Raph had to tell him it was her fault for wearing dresses. Leo reminded him that Venus never wore anything to cover her legs. Raph confessed to looking at her legs, as well.

"Hormones, Mikey." Donatello told him. "That's it. Your pheromones are acting up, and you've got a crush. No big deal. It'll probably pass soon." Honestly, Don thought Leo would be the first. He also didn't think Mikey would be having them (his hormones) act up this badly. He'd always figured his innocent brother was too wrapped up in television to care. Nope. Don was downplaying the situation for his brother. Though he already seemed to like the girls enough, there was probably still a mass army of hormones bottled up inside, waiting to be released.

"But dude, I like hanging out with Mona a lot better than Leo or you." Ouch. That was quite a blow.

"That's because Mona is like Raph. She's kind of like one of the dudes. Besides, for mutants, let's face it, Mona and Venus are gorgeous to us. Trust me, the storm will pass. But if you really want to go for one of 'em, I'd pick Venus."

"I have to choose?" Mikey tilted his head.

"Yes. Girls aren't fond of men—or turtles, in our case,— who have two mates at once. Besides, what if you, say, decided to go steady with Mona." Don snapped his fingers, suddenly. "Stay with me, little brother, this is important. Say you went steady with Mona, then found out she's been fooling around with Raphael on the side. Wouldn't you feel a little betrayed?"

Mikey, though he had been suffering the effects of testosterone and pheromones, was still clueless when it came to love. To Donatello, it was clear he'd been having a hard time keeping up. He had, however, managed to catch one hint in Donatello's sentence. "You mean Raph and Mona are already. . .?"

"Really, Mikey, I thought you'd be the first one to start teasing them. I mean, what do you think they're doing when they sneak out to the rooftops?"

Mikey shrugged. "I thought they were going to Burger King, or something."

"Well, yes, they do go for takeout, but it doesn't take two hours to order a burger, Mikey." Donatello was right in thinking that ordering takeout for Mona wasn't all they did outside the lair, but it was vigilante work, not make-out sessions. They preferred those in the comfort of the lair.

"No way. I can't believe I've seriously been missing this. I've gotta see it for myself!" With that, Michelangelo rushed out to see it firsthand.

At first, Donatello got up out of his chair to stop him, but decided against it. Unless he saw it, Mikey wouldn't believe him. Donatello could only hope his sibling wouldn't be beaten to a pulp by Raph in the process. "Just when I thought he was maturing." He shook his head and sat back down.

Oh, yes. Mikey had been chased around the lair once. When caught, he begged Raph for mercy, and instead of teasing, asked, "What did you do to make her like you so much?"

Now, his hot-headed sibling stopped in his tracks. He pulled his fist away from Mikey's face., and stared down at him for a minute. Then, he lifted himself off of his brother, and helped him up. "What? No sarcastic remarks? None of that k-i-s-s-i-n-g stuff?"

Mikey shook his head. He _looked _pretty sincere. It was hard to tell with Michelangelo. But his brother had resisted making a joke for this long, and Raphael went against his instincts and decided to trust his brother. When Mikey confessed that he'd already gone to talk to Donatello about this kind of thing, Raph _knew _what was happening to his brother.

"Alright, Mikey. I'll tell ya everything ya need tah know. 'Cause I'm sure as hell not gonna let _Donny _give ya the sex talk. He'll probably use words that are too big for your love-struck brain, and he'll blame it all on hormones. Trust me, your older, and wiser brother Raph has got this covered. Now listen carefully. . ."

By the end of Raph's talk, Michelangelo's eyes looked like tennis balls. No detail had been spared. The young, innocent mind of the household, or sewer-hold, was no longer young and innocent. In less than ten minutes, Raph taught him everything he needed to know about "reproduction." Many, like Leo and Splinter would consider it immoral, but Raph thought of it as a talent. Hell, even Donatello would be able to appreciate such a short and sweet lesson. He then proceeded to explain to his brother why he and Mona Lisa hit it off.

"Mikey, I was there during her transformation. I'm the only one of us who saw her in human form. And you know what? She was cute then, too. But now she can't roam the streets freely like she used to. I'm the one that's been bringin' her out and letting her get fresh air every night. She and I got to know each other better, and one night it just. . . happened."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."

"Heh, that must have been the morning Splinter told us you had an odd scent on your body." Mikey smirked, and Raph's jaw suddenly dropped.

"_Splinter _knows about this? Aw, crud. Oh well, as long as he never brings it up, we're going to pretend like he's knowledge-less. 'Kay, Mike?"

"Don't worry, bro. I won't tell."

From then on, Michelangelo had his sights set on Venus, and his ultimate goal was to win her heart. Venus was big on spirits, and interpreting dreams, so he attempted to look as though he had something in common with her. But soon, it grew on him. Having Venus teach him about spirits was more fun than training, and she even summoned up the occasional ghost. It was only animal spirits, but they still made mischief and scared Donatello with said strange animal spirits when he was concentrating hard on a new invention.

Slowly, but surely, they became closer. Michelangelo and Venus were two inseparable peas in a pod, and a great ninja team. Splinter commented on their excellent teamwork, and they managed to defeat Mona and Raph during a sparring lesson. This was surprising given Raph's sheer determination and Mona's new-found leaping skills.

Man, he wondered how Venus was doing at the moment, and if she was OK. . .

Due to an enormous amount of tranquilizer inside of her, and an incredible amount of bruises on the outside, Venus was currently in a deep sleep. Master Splinter, bound by an electric wire rather than rope or cuffs because of his skill, watched her hopelessly, wondering where his other children were. They had left Donatello and Mona Lisa back at the lab, but according to another Foot Ninja, Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael had all previously been captured. Now he wondered how much time he had left with his daughter.

Deep in the REM stages of sleep, Venus stirred uncomfortably, experiencing nightmare after nightmare. One in particular stood out, however.

Venus wandered around the lair, which was destroyed. She had forgotten that she had been captured, because of the realness of her dream. When she stepped on glass and debris, it hurt. When she pinched herself, it hurt. "Hello?" she called. No answer. "Hel_lo_?!" Louder this time, and she heard a moan on the couch.

"Venus. . ." she recognized her best friend's voice and her face lit up, but only for a moment. "Ugh, my eye. . ."

"Mikey?" she carefully tip-toed over to the couch, avoiding the crud all over the sewer floor that could damage her feet. "Are you OK? What happened here?" she leaned over the back of the couch and screamed when she saw his face. In his right eye socket, there was nothing, but blood running down his cheek. "Michelangelo! Who did this to you?!"

Mikey suddenly had an angry aura about him. He pulled himself to his knees and gripped her shoulders---hard. "You did! You shredded my eye to pieces!"

Splinter watched in horror as the sleeping Venus trashed about, causing herself rope burns on top of her bruises. "Mikey, I would _never_!" She was having a nightmare! "No! I'm not the one who tore out your eye!"

Splinter shot a glare at the elite ninja who sat in the back with them. "Do something!" This resulted in a shock from the electric wire.

"There. I did something." the unfeeling ninja simply put the remote back and assume his nonchalant position.

Splinter scooted his body over to Venus and rested his head on top of hers. She had stopped thrashing, but her breathing was still heavy. Another nightmare had started, but at least she was calmer, now. "Venus. Do not let these nightmares overcome you. You are stronger than this. Wake up!"

Instead, she began talking in her sleep again. "Who are you? Where are you going with Mona Lisa?" A pause, as though the conversation was real. "How do you know she wants to go with you, Nightwatcher? She gave you permission to kidnap her?" Suddenly, Venus' eyes popped open. She observed her surroundings, and memories of being kidnapped by the Foot surfaced again She looked up at her sensei. "Master Splinter?" she was so relieved, had she not been bound by rope, she would have embraced him. "Oh, those nightmares. . ." she began to cry. "They were _awful_."

Master Splinter comforted her as best he could. Here in the possession of the Foot, she was crying about nightmares. "Shh, it's alright, Venus. You're awake, now." Not that the awake-world wasn't any less of a nightmare, he thought. He could only imagine the sorts of things Shredder had in store for him.

When they arrived, Karai herself opened the doors. "Let me see her." Upon looking down at Venus, she became enraged. "This is _NOT _the female we were capturing! Where are the other two?" In the presence of a furious Karai, the "Elite" ninja became nothing more than a bumbling fool.

"We-we left them. There was no point in dragging them along, mistress Karai---" she punched the inside of the van, causing Venus and the Elite to flinch.

"I wanted to bring my Master the five turtles, and their sensei, but I wished to give him the pregnant female most of all, and you've _RUINED IT_!! Search the city! I want no street corner empty, no alley unturned! Bring me the pregnant female and the last turtle _at once_!"

"Donatello and Mona Lisa are too crafty for you." Splinter insulted.

"Ah, yes. Take this rat to the Shredder. I'm sure my master has quite a surprise in store for you." she sneered down at the rat.

"What about the female turtle?" Elite asked.

Karai thought for a moment. "Lock her up with the hothead. Left in the isolation tank long enough, they'll probably tear each other to pieces." she smirked.

* * *

Raph kept punching his surroundings.

Michelangelo was lost in his memories.

Leonardo desperately tried to piece together a plan.

Donatello and Mona Lisa prepared to hack into the Foot security systems, and run right into Shredder's domain during the power outage.

**Some of you may be thinking "It's impossible to summon animal spirits because animals don't have souls." Well, you know what? Your MOM doesn't have a soul. Holy crap, these chapters are longer than I anticipate, next chapter? "The Metal Man." Pretty corny, if I do say so myself.  
**


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